


Blood In The Water

by InNovaFertAnimus



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Angst, Free! Eternal Summer, Gen, Murder Mystery, but it's going to go back to canon eventually, the rest of the cast is there but not long enough to tag them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25271902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InNovaFertAnimus/pseuds/InNovaFertAnimus
Summary: The series of murders has been in the news for a couple of weeks, but it’s has only been that: in the news. People are found dead around the next big city. Highschoolers mostly, a lot of them athletes and swimmers. It was something he heard his classmates gossip about, but like they do about a tv show. It’s awful, but it happens and it’s too far away from them to make it seem real.Until they found one of the third years of the Samezuka swim team floating in the pool with his throat sliced open.Written for the Nanase Haruka Birthday Gift Exchange
Relationships: Matsuoka Rin & Nanase Haruka, Matsuoka Rin & Yamazaki Sousuke, Nanase Haruka & Tachibana Makoto, Nanase Haruka & Yamazaki Sousuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Nanase Haruka Birthday Exchange 2020





	Blood In The Water

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Belated Birthday Haru! 
> 
> Dear Cruria, I have to say your prompts surprised me, I didn't think my first fic in Free! would be a murder mystery, but I have fun ;D I hope you enjoy your gift!

The sun is already setting, tinting the blue of the pool into violet. Haru’s legs are dangling into the pool, swim suit still on even though he’s already wrapped into a towel.

Makoto steps up behind him, Haru recognizes him without having to turn around. Nagisa and Rei have left a while ago with Gou to take her home safely despite her protests. It was a good idea. Staying and watching would have made her just more upset.

“We should get him out, don’t you think?” Makoto says.

Haru shakes his head, his eyes not leaving the last swimmer remaining in the pool. “He needs the water.”

Makoto lets out a small sigh and joins Haru sitting at the edge of the pool. He’s already dressed to head home, his back slung over his shoulder, so his feet stay out of the water.

Rin is still racing up and down the middle lane. He’s fast, but Haru can see the tiredness in his movements. The water feels wrong around him, his energetic aura swallowed up by frustration and confusion and anger and pain, even worse than in the past year. It’s disturbing enough that Haru left the pool before he strictly had to. He understands though.

“You can go home without me, Makoto,” Haru says. Considering Rin’s stamina, he might not be done with swimming for some time.

Makoto shakes his head. There’s a certain hesitance in his words, as if speaking them aloud would make it worse. “I don’t want you to walk by yourself when it’s getting dark.”

It almost sounds like one of Makoto’s usual irrational fears, but Haru finds himself nodding along. This time is different.

The series of murders has been in the news for a couple of weeks, but it’s has only been that: in the news. People are found dead around the next big city. Highschoolers mostly, a lot of them athletes and swimmers. It was something he heard his classmates gossip about, but like they do about a tv show. It’s awful, but it happens and it’s too far away from them to make it seem real.

Until they found one of the third years of the Samezuka swim team floating in the pool with his throat sliced open.

Haru didn’t know him. He’s never spoken to the victim, probably wouldn’t have recognized him as a Samezuka swimmer without the team jacket.

Rin did. Haru doesn’t think they were friends or particularly close, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was still Rin’s teammate, that Rin was his captain.

They sit in silence for a while, both of them watching Rin tire himself out. His turns get sloppier to the point of dangerous, the distance between him and the wall too close or too far and the angle off even though his speed and force stays the same.

“Haru, I really think we need to get him out,” Makoto says, probably thinking the same. If Rin keeps this up, he might sprain something if he doesn’t hit his head against the pool wall first.

Without another word, Haru lets his towel fall from his shoulders and slides into the water.

It’s easy to catch up to Rin. It shouldn’t be like that. The water is parting for him easily, even though he can feel the storm of currents wraping around Rin next to him.

He pulls ahead with a few powerful strokes. They are almost at the wall again when Haru ducks under the lane, effectively blocking Rin’s path.

Rin stands up almost immediately, coming to a stop just a moment after Haru does. Ripping off his goggles and cap in one move, red eyes are glaring at Haru, but their usual fire is subdued.

“What the hell, Haru?” Rin snaps, irritation sharp and clear in his voice.

“It’s getting late,” says Haru with a calmness he doesn’t really feel. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to being the target of Rin’s anger again, even when he knows it’s not really directed at him. There’s something in that specific tone that sends a stab of fear through Haru, even though he

Rin blinks at him for a moment, before he turns his head as if he forgot where he actually was. At the same moment, a certain heaviness returns to his face.

“Sorry, forgot the time I guess.”

Haru keeps looking at him, noticing how Rin avoids his eyes. It reminds Haru of last year, when they could barely exchange a word because of the walls pulled up between them. It makes him feel helpless. There’s not much Haru can do, so he reaches out, slowly so Rin could pull away if he wants. He doesn’t though and Haru’s hand finds his shoulder. Words have never been his strength and even though he wants to say something, nothing comes to his mind that would make a difference. So he squeezes his shoulders slightly and waits for Rin to look at him. It takes a moment, but Rin finally lifts his head a bit to meet his gaze head on. This close his exhaustion is even more visible. Haru gives his shoulder another squeeze for a reason he doesn’t quite understand himself.

The door of the pool entrance opens noisily, making both of their heads turn.

Yamazaki is stalking into the pool area, a deep frown on his face. He can already feel the corners of his mouth turn down in return. It’s almost a reflex by now he thinks.

Makoto doesn’t seem deterred by his expression and turns to him with a smile. Haru doesn’t think he should bother with that.

“Oh hello, Yamazaki-kun. What--”

Yamazaki barely glances at him, instead his eyes fall on Rin immediately. “Rin, check your damn phone. You’ve missed curfew and your mom is a second away from forming a search party,” says Sousuke, like he didn’t even hear Makoto speaking. Haru narrows his eyes at him from the pool. Rude.

Rin curses softly under his breath and turns away from Haru to make his way out of the pool, Haru’s hand slipping off him. “Sorry, I’ll call her right away.”

Sousuke scoffs and pulls out his phone. “Don’t bother, I got this. Get in the shower so we might make it back before the trains stop running.”

Makoto is already at the edge of the pool with Rin’s towel, when Rin hoists himself out of the water. As always Makoto voices Haru’s question before he can even think of it. “You’re not going home to your family?”

Rin takes the towel from him with a quiet thank-you. “Half the team lives too far away from their parents to make the trip. If they have to stay, then I do too.”

Haru sinks a little bit deeper into the water, half of his face slipping under the surface in displeasure. He can’t say he doesn’t admire Rin’s sense of duty in some ways, but this seems like a bad idea. His eyes wander over to Sousuke, who’s apparently on the phone with Rin’s mom. Despite the animosity between them, at least Haru can be sure that Sousuke will have an eye on Rin.

“Thank you,” says Rin, his eyes shifting between Haru and Makoto back and forth as he pauses, “…for letting me use your pool. I’m sorry I kept you so long.”

It’s the third time he apologizes. Haru doesn’t like it.

Makoto just smiles kindly at him. “Don’t worry about it, Rin. You can come back to visit us any time.”

Rin’s smile in return is hesitant and tired, but it’s there. “Thanks, maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.” He lifts his hand in a small wave and hurries to catch up to Sousuke, who’s already on his way out with the phone still at his ear.

Haru and Makoto watch them leave the pool site, before Makoto steps to the edge of the pool, extending his hand towards him. “Come on, let’s head home as well, Haru-chan.”

It’s been a long day, so this time Haru let’s the childish addition to his name go and reaches for Makoto without further protest.

Makoto’s palm is warm against his as he lets himself get pulled out of the pool.

~

Rin does in fact come back the next day and every day after that. 

The Samezuka pool is still closed because of the investigation. They also find out on the second day that Rin is not supposed to train at all. The coaches at Samezuka implemented a training ban to focus on the team’s mental health, including making them stay out of the water while the loss of their teammate is still fresh. They should have known that there is little point of trying Rin to stop doing anything he’s sunken his teeth in. A disqualifying relay is only one example of many.

At times Haru can almost forget why Rin’s at their pool or that he’s actually not part of their swim club. It’s nice to have him around, listening to him argue with Gou about training plans and protein supplements. They resemble each other in stubbornness far more than in their appearance as the team is made aware of multiple times every day. It’s a great help to Rei to have another butterfly swimmer around as well. Rin being annoyingly enthusiastic about talking swim technique doesn’t hurt either.

They train hard, probably harder than they would without him. It’s good.

The training is less of a problem than the time Rin stays in the pool after. This is probably what the Samezuka coaches were afraid of. It’s not as bad as the first time Rin came over, but It’s still worrying. Haru can feel the water shift from cheerful to heavy every time Rin says he’ll do a couple of lapses more after they finish the last training set. It’s never just a couple. He beats the water until it starts fighting back, leaving his limbs shaky and his chest heaving by the time Yamazaki inevitably shows up to collect him just in time to make curfew. This late there’s usually just Haru and Makoto of the Iwatobi-team left and it’s no different today.

Yamazaki enters the pool area, nodding at Makoto and ignoring Haru as usual. It’s fine though. The ignoring part is mutual.

Rin finishes another lap before pulling himself up out of the water. If Haru wasn’t looking, he might have missed the wince and the shift of his left hand when he puts on weight on it.

“You’re hurt,” says Haru, frowning at Rin’s hand as Rin stands up.

Makoto appears at Rin’s side not a second later, even before Yamazaki, following Haru’s gaze with worry. Rin tries to wave them off with a forced smile and takes half a step back, almost falling into the pool again. He’s never been a very good liar, so Haru can already hear the denial before Rin even opens his mouth.

“It’s fine, I just hit the wall a little wrong earlier.” He curls his fingers slowly into a fist and opens them again in a display to but the pained set of his jaw betrays him. Makoto does not seem impressed either as he places one hand on Rin’s shoulder blade. “Let’s get you some ice for that. Just to be careful, okay?” He doesn’t wait for Rin’s reply before he starts to steer him to the club house with a smile that takes no back-talk.

It leaves Haru alone with Yamazaki though. He fully expects just to sit in silence and wait for Rin and Makoto to come back, so he’s startled from the hand roughly turning him around by his shoulder.

Yamazaki is right in front of him, standing too close and looming over Haru with a glare that’s unfamiliar in its intensity.

“Overtraining can end careers and you’re just standing by, watching Rin wreck his body,” Yamazaki says.

Maybe Haru could have anticipated this. It’s not the first time something like this happens between them and just like the last time Haru simply doesn’t understand. As Rin’s friend he should know that telling Rin to take it easy is useless. Taking it easy is not something Rin is capable of and Haru would rather have him swimming in their pool than lifting heavy weights or running himself to the ground in deserted places.

Yamazaki raises one of his hands and jabs his fingers into Haru’s shoulder hard enough to hurt.

“If he’s seriously injuring himself, I’m blaming you.”

Haru can only stare at him, too surprised to do anything but grasp his own shoulder where he can feel a bruise already forming. Yamazaki’s eyes widen at the movement, the glare wiped off his face as if he’s surprised himself. He opens his mouth to say something, but gets cut off by Makoto’s voice coming from the direction of the club house.

Yamazaki steps back just in time for Rin and Makoto to reappear. Two of Rin’s fingers are carefully taped together and he’s holding one of the cooling packs they keep around.

Yamazaki goes back to ignoring Haru again and their day ends as usual. Makoto gives Haru a couple of curious glances on their way home when Haru rubs his shoulder absentmindedly, but that’s it.

Maybe Haru should have spoken up.

**Author's Note:**

> I think we're looking at about 3 chapters for this fic in total, but we'll see. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos can buy many writing motivation ;)


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